Method of treating inorganic mineral slimes in oil wells



OFFICE METHOD OF TREATING BNORGANIC IiflN- ERAL SS IN on. WELLS Abraham M. Herbsman, Huntington Park, Calif.,

assignor to Industrial Patents, Ltd, lLos Angeles, Califl, a corporation of California No Drawing. Application May 18, 1937, Serial No. 143,329

3 Cis. (01. 166-21) My invention relates to the production of pecarbonate type, the siliceous type and the shaletroleum from wells, and particularly to the comlike type.

bating of slime conditions which occasionally In treating a slime of the carbonate type, the occur in these wells. treating agent is produced by forming a sus- 5 In producing oil from wells, the seepage of oil pension of sulfonated glyceride with an aqueous 5 into the well is sometimes interfered with by acid solution. The acids usually used in this soluthe occurence of slimes which adhere to the walls tion are hydrochloric acid or acetic acid. As of the well so as to efiectively retard the pasused in the forming of said suspension, these sage of oil from the oil-bearing strata. acids are usually fairly dilute, and preferably are It is an object of my invention to provide a from 2% to 20% in strength. 10- method of treating inorganic mineral slimes When treating a slime of the siliceous type by where these occur in oil wells so as to break up my method, I form a suspension of the treating these slimes and thereby cause an increased fiow agent with an aqueous alkaline solution, such as of oil. aqueous caustic soda, or aqua ammonia. Where Inorganic mineral slimes as found in deep oil aqua ammonia is used, this may be of commercial l5 wells vary in composition. Some of these are strength, which is 26 B., or it may be considercarbonate in character; others are of a siliceous ably diluted from commercial strength. nature, while others consist of a shale-like ma- In treating a slime which is shale-l ike in naterial. ture, the treating agent or sulfonated glyceride is Another object of this invention is to provide preferably mixed with water to form an aqueous 20 a method of treating inorganic mineral slimes in suspension of the glyceride, and-is thus introoil wells which are predominantly carbonate in duced into the bottom of the well.

character. In many cases, I have found the eifectiveness A further object of the invention is to provide the sulfonated glyceride prior to the forming of 5 a method of treatment of inorganic mineral of my method is enhanced by the dilution of slimes in oil wells, which is eiiective in the disan aqueous suspension of the latter. In carrying position of such slimes where these are of a outmy method in this manner, I preferably use siliceous nature. a diluent from the group comprising benzol and A still further object of the invention is to. its homologues, aliphatic alcohols, aromatic al- 30 provide a method 0 ftreatment of inorganic mincohols, phenols, pyridine, alcoholic solutions of 30 eral slimes in oil wells which is effective in breakcalcium chloride and the like, and mineral hying down such slimes when the latter have a drocarbon solvents.

shale-like base. What I claim is:

The method of treatment comprised in my in- 1. A methodof treating the inorganic mineral vention has certain similar features in treating slimes occurring in oil wells, which comprises 35 all of the aforesaid specific types of slimes. In forming a aqueous su p on of a sulfonated each instance, the method comprises forming an glyceride d introducing aid usp fl into aqueous suspension of a sulfonated glyceride, that portion of a well inwhich there are accumuand introducing said suspension in the bottomof at ons of a d S e- 40 the well containing the inorganic mineral slimes 2. A method of treating the inor 40 which it is desired to treat. When this introslimes occurring in oil wells, which comprises duced, this suspension breaks down the inorforming an aqueous suspension of a sulfonated ganic mineral slimes with which it comes in conlyce d in an aqueous acid Solution and introtact and prevents the formation of such slimes ducing said. suspension into that portion of a as long as substantial traces of said suspension 7 well in which there are accumulations of said remain present in the bottom of the well., The slime. I sulfonated glyceride used in my invention-may be 3. A method of treating the inorganic mineral made by sulfonation of any of the well-known slimes occurring in oil wells, which comprises animal or vegetable fats such as fish oil, castor forming an aqueous suspension of a sulfonated oil or the like. glyceride in an aqueous alkaline solution and in- The basic character of the inorganic mineral troducing said suspension into that portion ofa slimes found in deep oil wells varies in accordwell in hi h th re are accumulations of said ance with the nature of the minerals contained i therein. As pointed out hereinabove, the main 1 types of these inorganic mineral slimes are the ABRAHAM M. HERBSMAN. 

